From a PC to a Macpro

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Early last year I was looking to upgrade my computer. I studied Multimedia at university and wanted to set up at home so I would be able to do some freelance work on the side. Now back in college we had both macs and PCs in the computer lab. I'd only ever used PCs before and whilst I dabbled a little on the macs while I was there I just felt a lot more comfortable on the PCs. So around May last year I started looking into upgrading my fairly good if a little old PC to run apps like Photoshop and Flash without choaking. Although I'm fairly good in design packages when it comes to the technical side of what goes into a computer I don't have a clue. So I posted on the Dell forums (where I got my previous PC from) and asked what they'd recommend for someone looking to design freelance. Every response I got suggested that perhaps I'd be better off with a mac. Having been told this before I decided to seriously look into it. I liked the look of the macpro but was concerned about things being different. I was told if there were things that wouldn't work on OSx then I should consider something like bootcamp. So I decided to take the plunge, after all my PC was on it's last legs.

I ordered a macpro with a 23" HD monitor (I was upgrading from a 15" regular flatscreen). Also I ordered an Adobe package with Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, In Design, Photoshop and Acrobat to get started with. If anyone wants to see the configuration for the mac it's this:

2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
4GB 667 DDR2 FB DIMM ECC-4x1GB
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256MB
500GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s drive
16x SuperDrive DL
Airprt Extrm & BT 2.0+EDR-INT
WL Apple Kybd & WL Mgty Ms-B
MAC OS X-INT
Country Kit-B

I have to say I was a little worried when I unpacked it and moved my PC downstairs (wasn't quite prepared to pack it away just yet). So I switched it on and within minutes it was up and running. No messing about with the wireless network, it detected it and let me log straight on. I was shocked at how easy it was.

For the record to this day it has never crashed on me or kicked me out of any application unexpectedly. It runs just as it did the day I got it out of the box. I'd read bad things about the HD screens but I've really had no trouble with it. I get a very slight flicker every now and then but by the time I think about looking up a fix for it the flicker has stopped. Just coming from a 15" screen I feel I can't complain.

The only bit of software I couldn't run on the mac was my old ftp client but I found a cheap alternative which seems to do the job just fine. I just can't believe that it took me so long to switch, the OS is just so well organised. In windows I feel you have access to all this stuff that the average user just shouldn't be allowed to mess with for fear of breaking it. With my mac I don't tend to come across any of that techy stuff. It just works, so why question it. :) Being able to uninstall with a drag and drop is so refreshing.

It's the little things with the mac I love though. Like one day I came across a bluetooth application so I decided to see if it would talk with my phone. It did and I was able to send songs I'd transfered from CD to itunes onto my phone.

So for someone like myself, very into computer design but not a great brain when it comes to the technical side of computing, I have found my switch to mac fantastic. For the record the PC was unplugged a week after the mac hit my desk and I haven't looked back. I'd never consider transfering back because simply I have no need to and my experiences with my PC was lots of crashes and faults and viruses. I know the mac has to disappoint me one day but I'm just thankful it's not on a weekly basis like my old PC.

Now I just need to save for my new laptop. ;)
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Mac Pro, 8GB o' RAM, 4.5 TB o' disc space, OS Ecks 10.6.7, etc
Great news! I have pretty much the same Mac Pro as you do, and I love it. I have the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display and have never had any problems with it or the previous one I owned (except the previous one only had the proprietary Apple connector for some reason instead of the industry standard DVI). We have bigger Apple displays at work and we've never had any problems, either. When they get old they tend to exhibit a type of "burn in" when nothing moves for a long time, but it fades away fairly quick. Not sure if the newer models do that, but if you ever see it happen, just wait a few minutes and it'll be gone.
 
Joined
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Your Mac's Specs
Early 2008 Mac Pro - 500 GB HD - 6 GB Ram
Congrats on your new Pro! I made the switch from the PC to a Pro this past week too and absolutely loving it.

I completely forgot about being able to transfer via Bluetooth from the computer to my phone. Looks like I have something new to try tomorrow!
 
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Congratulations! I hope your Mac Pro takes your leaps and bounds beyond what PCs could do.

how bout some pictures of your new setup? Post Here.

Want to post your work? Post Here.

Welcome to Mac-Forums!
 
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lupin84 and others - i noticed in your post that you use design software (adobe design suite?) that i will be getting my daughter for school. i am looking at getting the MBP with the minimum hd of 160 g (so we can purchase at local store instead of online).

can you tell me realistically how much disk space these programs and average data files use? not being familiar with the software, and will be installing windows and other apps, i have no realistic idea of how much cs3 will eat up in disk space.

thanks so much
 

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